Condiment holders and support therefor



Sept. 7, 1965 B. N. FIDEL 3,204,826

CONDIMENT HOLDERS AND SUPPORT THEREFOR Filed May 12. 1964 IN V EN TOR.

5904 0 /V. fiDZ-Z lrraan/frs United States Patent 3,204,826 CONDIMENT HOLDERS AND SUPPORT THEREFOR Bruno N. Fidel, 2 Bay 31st St, Brooklyn, NY. Filed May 12, 1964, Ser. No. 366,862

This invention relates to the general field of condiment holders and, more specifically, the invention pertains to the provision of separate salt-and-pepper shakers together with a single base support therefor.

One of the primary objects of this invention is to provide a combined salt-and-pepper holder for individual use together with means for manually-controlling, independently, the dispensing of the desired condiment.

Another object of this invention is to provide a condiment dispenser for dispensing a plurality of seasoning simultaneously or separately, one from the other, together with means for controlling, independently, the rate of flow of the condiments from the dispenser.

A further object of this invention is to provide a combined salt-and-pepper dispenser of such construction as to eliminate the necessity of inverting the dispenser to effect the discharge of the seasonings.

A still further prime object of this invention is to provide in a condiment dispenser, agitating means which is operable to maintain the condiments in powder or granulated condition and without coagulation, whereby the dispensing of the condiments from the dispenser is facilitated.

It is another object of this invention to provide in a condiment holder, reciprocable valve means to control the flow of the condiment from the holder together with means operable with the valve means to agitate the condiment within the holder to maintain the same in powder or granulated form.

This invention contemplates, as a still further object thereof, the provision of a plurality of condiment holders mounted on a single base, together with valve means for controlling the separate or simultaneous discharge of the condiments from the condiment holders, the condiment holders and base being non-complex in construction and assembly, inexpensive to manufacture, and which are durable in use.

Other and further objects and advantages of the instant invention will become more evident from a consideration of the following specification when read in conjunction with the annexed drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of a condiment holder and base constructed in accordance with the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged detail, medial, vertical crosssectional view of the condiment holder illustrated in FIG- URE 1, FIGURE 2 illustrating the valving means of one of the holders in its open position, and the valving means of the other of the holders being shown in its closed position; and

FIGURE 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the condiment holder and base, FIGURE 3 being taken substantially on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now more specifically to the drawing, reference numeral designates, in general, a plurality of condiment holders and a support therefor constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention. As illustrated therein, the support or base is identified by reference numeral 12 and is seen to comprise a continuous upright substantially oval skirt 14 having a pair of cylindrical end walls 16, 18 disposed in confronting relationship. The adjacent confronting sides of the end walls 16, 18 are connected by re-entrant walls 20, 22, and the end walls 16, 18 are inset at their respective upper ends to form a pair of substantially hollow elevated cylindrical shells 24, 26 connected together by an integrally-formed centrally-located throat 28. Each of the shells 24, 26 is internally threaded as at 30, 32, and each shell 24, 26 has integrally-formed therewith a depending substantially hollow inverted, frusto-conical closure wall 34, 36, respectively, having apertures 38, 40 at their respective apex ends.

Reference numerals 42, 44 denote a pair of identicallyconstructed housings or holders, and hence, a description of one is the description of the other.

Selecting the holder 42 for specific description, the holder 42 is seen to comprise an elongated normally upright, substantially hollow tubular member 46 having a lower substantially cylindrical end 48 externally-threaded at 50 for engagement with the threads 30, 32, respectively, of the base 12. The upper end of the tubular wall 46 is provided with a substantially dome-shaped closure wall 52 having an integrally-formed depending, substantially cylindrical wall 54 at the apex end thereof, the cylindrical wall 54, at its lower end, being closed by a discoidal end wall 56 to form a closed guide pocket 58. Telesscoped within the pocket 58 is a button 60 comprising a hollow cylindrical sidewall 62 and an upper integrallyformed end wall 64.

Depending from the wall 64 is a hollow, internallythreaded, cylindrical sleeve 66 that is disposed in concentric relationship With respect to the sidewall 62 and is inwardly-spaced therefrom, the sleeve 66 also being coaxially-aligned with an opening 68 formed in the end wall 56.

Disposed in the space between the sidewall 62 and the sleeve 66 is a helicoidal spring 70 which has an end thereof abutting the end wall 64 and its other end engaging the end wall 56. The arrangement is such that the button is biased for movement out of the pocket 58 upon compression of the spring 70 by pressing the button 60 inwardly.

Threaded into the sleeve 66 is the upper end of an elongated normally vertically-extending, substantially cylindrical valve rod 72, the other end of which passes through the opening 68 and is aligned With the aperture 38. The upper end of the rod 72 is provided with an integrallyformed, cylindrical flange or boss 74 adapted to abut the underside of the discoidal end wall 56 and to serve as stop means to prevent displacement of the button 60 from the pocket 58 and to limit the movement of the rod 72 upwardly.

Secured to the rod 72, adjacent to, but spaced from the lower end thereof are a plurality of substantially flat upright rhombical agitating blades 76, and the lower end of the rod 72 terminates in an enlarged frusto-conical head 78 having an outwardly-projecting circumferential sealing flange 8d at the base thereof which is adapted to seat within the aperture 38 to completely seal the same.

To operate, and assuming the holders 42, 44 are filled with a seasoning, such as indicated at 82, the user need but grasp one of the holders 42, 44 and elevate the same above the food to be seasoned. This action will, of course, cause simultaneous raising of the other of the holders together with the base 12. The user may then depress either of the caps 60 causing the flange to move below the aperture 38 to permit the dispensing of the desired seasoning or condiment onto the food from the selected holder 42, 44.

Upon release of either of the caps 60, the helicoidal spring 79 will cause the rod 72 to move in the reverse direction to the extent that the flange or boss 74 is caused to engage against the underside of the end wall 56 and to simultaneously seat the flange 80 within the opening or aperture 38.

It will be recognized, of course, that as the rod 72 is re'ciprocated, the blades 76 will move through the body of the seasoning 82 to agitate the same in such a manner as to preserve the seasoning in its pulverized, powdered or granulated natural condition and to prevent coagulation of the same which could interfere with the free dispensing of the seasoning from either of the holders 42, 44.

Once the seasoning 82 has been dispensed from either of the holders 42, 44, the same may be easily replaced through the simple expedient of inverting the holders 42, 44, together with the base 12 from the positions shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 and unscrewing the container 42, 44 requiring replenishment. Since the flange 80 merely seats within the apertures or openings 38, 40 the frusto-con'ical head 78 of the piston rod 72 will easily be withdrawn from the inverted frusto-conical closure wall 34 or 36. To assemble the holders 42, 44 with the base 12, it is only necessary to re-engage the threads 50 with the threads 30, 32 and therea'fter invert the position of the holders 42, 44 to the positons illustrated in FIGURES l and 2.

The holders 42, 44 and the base 12 may be formed of any desirable material. However, from the standpoint of lowered cost of manufacture, and the ease in maintaining the device in a relatively santiary condition, it is preferable that the holders and base be formed of a molded plastic. Furthermore, it is proposed that the holders 42, 44 be formed of a transparent or translucent material whereby the level of the seasoning 82 is made readily apparent.

Having described and illustrated one embodiment of this invention in detail, it will be understood that the same is offered merely by way of example, and that this invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A condiment dispenser comprising -a norm'ally horizontal upright base comprising a skirt having a pair of hollow curvilinear internally-threaded ends opening into the top and bottom sides of said base, said base including an integrally-formed inverted frusto-conica'l closure wall extending, respectively, across the lower sides of each of said curvilinear ends, each of said closure walls having a condiment-discharge opening at the apex thereof, a pair of substantially cylindrical condiment holders each having a pair of opposed open ends, said holders each having one of their ends engaged, respectively, within one of said base ends, a closure wall extending across the other end of each of said cylindrical holders, an elongated valve rod for each of said closure walls, each of said valve rods extending at one end through its associated closure wall and being reciproca'ble therethrough, and valve means on the other end of said rods norm-ally seated within said openings to prevent discharge of said condiments from said holders and being nnseated therefrom to permit discharge ot said condiment-s.

2. A condiment dispenser as defined in claim 1, wherein said valve means includes a substantially trusto-c'onical head having an outwardly-projecting circumferential flange adapted to seat, respectively, within said openings.

3. A condiment dispenser as defined in claim 2, and a'plu'rality of agitator blades mounted on each of said valve rods and projecting radially therefrom.

4. A condiment dispenser as defined in claim 3, wherein said closure walls for each of said cylindrical-condiment holders includes an intergrally-formed cylindrical sidewall disposed adjacent the center thereof and depending therefrom, an end wall extending across the lower end of said cylindrical wall, said last-named end wall having an opening formed therein to receive the upper end of said valve rod therethrough, and a button telescopically mounted within said last-named sidewall to provide manual means for moving said valve rod downwardly to unseat said cylindrical flange from said opening to permit the dispensing of the condiment within said holder.

5. A condiment dispenser as defined in claim 4, wherein said button includes a substantially cylindrical sidewall telescopically engaged within said sidewall of said button, an end wall extending across the upper end of said last-named sidewall, and resilient means disposed be tween said last-named end walls, said resilient means constantly biasing said valve rod for movement in a direction to cause said circumferential flange to seat in its said opening.

6. A condiment dispenser as defined in cl-aim S, and means on said valve rod limiting the movement of said valve rod in one direction.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,295,665 2/19 Younger 222l84 1,491,529 4/24 Haesler 222-518 X 1,588,552 6/26 Sprinkle 222142.7

FOREIGN PATENTS 126,500 10/49 Sweden.

RAPHAEL M. L'UPO, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CONDIMENT DISPENSER COMPRISING A NORMALLY HORIZONTAL UPRIGHT BASE COMPRISING A SKIRT HAVING A PAIR OF HOLLOW CURVILINEAR INTERNALLY-THREADED ENDS OPENING INTO THE TOP AND BOTTOM SIDES OF SAID BASE, SAID BASE INCLUDING AN INTEGRALLY-FORMED INVERTED FRUSTO-CONICAL CLOSURE WALL EXTENDING, RESPECTIVELY, ACROSS THE LOWER SIDES OF EACH OF SAID CURVILINEAR ENDS, OF SAID CLOSURE WALLS HAVING A CONDIMENT-DISCHARGE OPENING AT THE APEX THEREOF, A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL CONDIMENT HOLDERS EACH HAVING A PAIR OF OPPOSED OPEN ENDS, SAID HOLDERS EACH HAVING ONE OF THEIR ENDS ENGAGED, RESPECTIVELY, WITHIN ONE OF SAID BASE ENDS, A CLOSURE WALL EXTENDING ACROSS THE OTHER END OF EACH OF SAID CYLINDRICAL HOLDERS, AN ELONGATED VALVE ROD FOR EACH OF SAID CLOSURE WALLS, EACH OF SAID VALVE RODS EXTENDING AT ONE END THROUGH ITS ASSOCIATED CLOSURE WALL AND BEING RECIPROCABLE THERETHROUGH, AND VALVE MEANS ON THE OTHER END OF SAID RODS NORMALLY SEATED WITHIN SAID OPENINGS TO PREVENT DISCHARGE OF SAID CONDIMENTS FROM SAID HOLDERS AND BEING UNSEATED THEREFROM TO PERMIT DISCHARGE OF SAID CONDIMENTS. 